This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Flow of refrigerant through an evaporator of an air conditioning system is often controlled by a thermal expansion valve (TXV) located within a TXV housing. The TXV meters flow of refrigerant to the evaporator based on temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator, as sensed by a sensor bulb. On an evaporator side of the TXV housing, an evaporator “in” line and an evaporator “out” line extend from the TXV housing. O-rings are often used to seal the evaporator lines to the TXV housing. An E-shaped connector block is often secured to the evaporator side of the TXV housing to compress the o-rings against the TXV housing. Because o-rings seal radially on the inside surfaces of the TXV ports, an E-block is sufficient for sealing. “E” blocks are not ideal for other types of seals though, such as slimline seals. A connector block that completely surrounds the evaporator lines and provides uniform seal compression would be advantageous, particularly for applications using slimline joints, which require axial sealing.